Houston Emergency Response Training Session

HOUSTON, Miss.(WCBI) – Houston Area Emergency Response Teams got some valuable training on Saturday.

These volunteers received F.E.M.A. prepared training in order to better equip themselves to assist first responders in case of a major disaster. The course covered actions that participants and their families take before, during and after a disaster as well as an overview of CERT and local laws governing volunteers. They learned about the proper search techniques and various ways to properly rescue people who may be trapped in a building.

“We cover those areas so they can be many call force extenders for the paid people when they arrive the civilians can come in and help with it. We do a lot of training about disaster preparedness for the individual and their family. Their individual and family safety comes first,”said trainer Carl Mangum.

Mangum says CERT teams have been invaluable around the country.

“Many CERT teams around the country have responded to tornadoes floods and hurricanes and fires and things like that in their local community. And they’re able to help the responders as they need additional help. Many of the especially the rural areas of the country when they have responders show up many are volunteers and there’s a limited number of those,”said Mangum.

Houston Fire Chief Jonathan Blankenship and several of his firefighters attended this weekend’s course. He says CERT teams are very helpful.

“This team will be able to supplement our efforts. Of course we’re limited with manpower and equipment. A lot of people who don’t necessarily want to participate with fire department activities can come help with the CERT team,”said Blankenship.

Saturday’s CERT training is not about the everyday calls. Those can be handled by the fire department and other emergency personnel. CERT is about preparing for those huge disasters that require a much larger response.

“These aren’t people that’s going to be out responding each and every call that we have. For sure there’s certain things that they’re going to be trained on and help the community with even when we’re not called out. But for sure on large events where all of our resources will be taxed this group will be able to help us a lot,”said Blankenship.

Butch Mixon of Houston got to lead one of the teams learning how to properly extricate a victim who is trapped by a large piece of debris here being represented by a folding table. He is part of a BERT, which means Brotherhood Emergency Response Team.

“B.E.R.T. started out just as an idea brought up by the brotherhood at Parkway Baptist Church here in Houston. And everybody was in agreement that we needed something like this and we kind of put it together,” said Mixon.

Mixon says he was impressed with the emphasis on safety in the course.

“This information can turn a simple home mishap from becoming a tragedy,”said Mixon.